Dark Knight, White Knight
by Marc D
Summary: Xander learns about something from his past kept secret. It's something he's always dreamed about, but never expected.
1. Default Chapter

Title: Dark Knight, White Knight

Author: Marc D.

Disclaimer: Don't own any of this, so please don't sue me.

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The summer had just begun, and Xander was finding himself praying that it would get better. It hadn't even been a week into the summer break and things were simply horrible. Buffy had fled to parts unknown after sending a souled Angel into the portal created by Acathala.

He had just arrived in time to see the final moments of the duel between the Slayer and Angelus. Even from him distance, he could tell exactly what had happened. There wasn't a part of him that didn't feel responsible for causing so much pain in Buffy's life. Just because of one event, and her life seemed to shatter. It didn't make him feel any better that he knew he had done it for the right reasons. It was the entire population, versus the happiness of the woman of his heart. It saddened him greatly to realize that he would have told her the same lie if he had to do it all over again.

Xander shook himself out of his dark musings as he patrolled by himself. It had started out as a group event. Willow, Oz, even Cordelia would join in on the patrol. He would have liked to have included Giles, but the Watcher was far too busy trying to find his wayward Slayer.

It seemed that most of the group didn't like the idea of risking life and limb when there wasn't a Slayer to back them up. As a group, they had patrolled the cemeteries for two days. On the second day, Cordelia was almost seriously injured when two Vampires attacked their little group.

They had been fortunate that the summer was usually a slow time for the undead to roam at night. On a usual night, the number of vampires they would have run into would have been triple, if not even more, than the few that they had come across. And to make matters even worse, they were lucky to be able to stake even one vampire, as a group, in an entire night.

So, it wasn't that much of a surprise when the group had decided to pull back on their patrolling routine slightly. For two days they did nothing. And when they had decided that there was nothing to be done on the third day, Xander decided that he was going to patrol on his own.

There had been a fire ignited within Xander's very soul from the beginning of his wake up call into this dark and dangerous world. It happened the moment his childhood friend, Jesse, had crumbled to dust, his vampire body rendered to ashes, just a few inches from Xander's face.

That night the tears flowed freely, completely unhindered. His silent agony became that of rage. It was when he had finally uncurled himself from a fetal position that he made a vow to the friend he swore he would never forget. If it was in his power to do so, he would use any means necessary to keep his friends as safe as possible.

As he continued to patrol with his friends, his feeling of protectiveness began to spread to those that would be otherwise faceless. All the innocents in this town of the damned were the ones that he would protect, and for his closest friends, he would do so with his dying breath.

That was why he found himself patrolling by himself. Half of him was hoping to be able to help someone, while his other half was scared beyond what he thought possible of encountering a vampire or demon.

Perhaps it was good fortune that he found himself returning to his home not having come into contact with any of Sunnydale's night life. As he made his way into his house, he sent up another silent prayer that this summer would get better, and soon.

Little was he to know that events had transpired that night, while he had been patrolling, that would permanently alter his life in ways Xander had never expected.

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Earlier That Evening

Jessica Harris looked upon the man that had become the bane to her existence. Her husband was passed out on the couch. His clothes, his very being, stained in alcohol. She raised her hand and gently rubbed it across the bruise forming below her eye socket. She sighed to herself as she realized that on a normal day she would be half gone, into an alcoholic haze, as well.

She made her way up to her bedroom. Passing her son's door, she couldn't help but to feel grateful that Alexander wasn't home right now. She was about to do something hard, and probably wrong, but it was something, that in her mind, had to be done.

She went into her room and picked up the little luggage she had packed. She placed the item onto her bed before making her way to a locked chest in her closet. After opening the chest she retrieved a large envelope that she had spent the past 16 years contemplating over.

She was leaving, and taking what little money she had. She would be far better off without Tony Harris anywhere near her. Her son, Alexander, would be better off as well. Though, she did fear for his safety. Tony could be a right bastard, and physically abusive, on a good day. Heaven help you if it wasn't a good day.

That was why she was going to take action. She only hoped that her son wouldn't hate her more than he probably already should, once everything came into play. She had wanted to send the information in this envelope to a certain someone for a very long time. It was only the shame she felt for keeping her secret, and the fear of what was to come if Tony ever found out, that had kept her from mailing it.

But now, she probably couldn't sink any lower in her son's eyes. And she really couldn't give a crap about what that passed out son of a bitch thought. She steeled her nerves, left the house, and she never looked back.

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Xander arrived at his home to find the place less one passed out occupant. He curiously walked up to his parents' bedroom and knew exactly what had transpired. The room looked as though it had been hit by a hurricane. His mother's clothes were strewn throughout the entire place.

Xander blinked a few times. He glanced back towards the den, where his father was still passed out. He glanced back into the clothes cluttered room. A small, sad smile graced his lips as unexpected tears threatened to spill from his eyes. He felt as though he should be furious at his mother, but couldn't find it within him. No, he wished her well, wherever she was.

Xander sighed to himself as he made his way into his bedroom and locked his door. Tomorrow, there would be hell to pay.

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The morning came, along with angry grunts and shouts from his father. The sounds of things breaking tore him completely from his fit filled slumber. The noise was getting louder, but he decided to ignore it. Rolling back over, he willed himself to fall back to sleep. When the pounding started on his door, and the belligerent yelling started soon after, he gave up on falling back to sleep. He quietly got dressed and slipped out his window. All the while, the banging intensified, as did the threatening nature of the other man.

Xander spent the day wandering the streets of Sunnydale. After hours, and hours of boredom, he finally decided to check and see what the situation was at his household. He was actually relieved to find his father in a drunken stupor. With any luck the man would stay that way for a while. It wasn't like Anthony Harris was one to live in reality. Let the man drink, it would make life more peaceful for everyone involved.

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3 Days Later, Gotham

Alfred opened up the mail at Wayne Manor for Master Bruce. He was sorting out the bills and invitations when he came to a seemingly weathered manila envelope. He was careful to open it, lest it be a bomb or some such item. He pulled out a sheaf of medical papers. As he was reading them, he couldn't help but to show the extreme shock from the information provided. It was fortunate that no one was there to see it. No one would believe it anyways.

With more urgency than he felt in quite a long time, Alfred Pennyworth fled the room and raced towards Master Bruce's specialized computer equipment. He needed to verify the information on this paper before he even thought about showing it to Master Bruce.

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As the Batmobile rolled into the Batcave, Alfred was impatiently waiting for the passenger to exit the vehicle.

Batman exited the vehicle. And, seeing his butler's expression, made his way directly towards the man he thought of as an uncle. Without uttering a word, Alfred handed the papers that he had received earlier.

He glanced down at the paperwork before his eyes shot up. Even behind the cowl, the surprise and utter flow of emotions could be felt in physical waves. Wordlessly, Alfred handed him his own research gathered from the Batcomputer. Batman glanced over the papers a few times before schooling his features.

In a voice that was all business, he asked. "This has been verified."

Alfred nodded. "I personally triple checked the information." A small smile graced Alfred's lips. "The DNA matches, Master Bruce, he is your son."

With that being said, Batman turned 180 degrees and made his way back to the Batmobile. Alfred spoke up again.

"Sir, there is something I think you should know." Batman stopped in his tracks and quickly glanced back at the older man. "I was checking up on the town. Their death rate and the amount of missing persons has a higher rate than Gotham. Which means that there is either a very well hidden form of Organized Crime, or another theory, that the area is overrun with vampires and other dark creatures."

Batman looked at him for a moment before glancing at his specialized armory. He gave a furtive nod before making his way over towards it.

"Sir, are you planning on driving all the way to California?" When he didn't receive an answer, he spoke up again. "Sir, we did just construct the framework onto the aircraft. Why not just latch the car to it?"

Batman looked up at the man for a moment before nodding.

"Very good sir, I took the liberty of accepting the invitation to the Banquet in Los Angeles for you."

He received a sharp look from the man behind the cowl.

"I figured that you may actually want to talk to your son. What better venue to do so?"

The sharp look softened, and a genuine smile appeared; which was something that just did not belong on the face of Batman.

"You thought of everything, didn't you?"

Alfred inclined his head slightly. "Indeed, Master Bruce." He handed him the information for the banquet along with another sheaf of papers. "I've also acquired a warehouse in Sunnydale for you." He paused for a moment. "There were surprisingly a lot of them that are being unused. Yours will be ready by the time you reach California."

Batman's smile became an, all too familiar, smirk. "You did think of everything." He looked down at the new information in his hands before looking back up at his butler. "Just how long have you had this information?"

Alfred just shrugged. "A few hours, Sir."

Batman continued to gear up with his specialized equipment. Once done he headed straight for his automobiles.

"Sir, do have a nice flight. And please keep me updated."

He received no answer, but knew he would be kept in the loop nonetheless.

Alfred smiled to himself. This was turning out to be one of his better days. He cast a glance at the BatComputer. 'I wonder what Master Dick and Master Timothy will say.' He chuckled to himself as he wandered up to the console, a smile adorning his face. He hadn't felt this good in years.


	2. Ch 2

Even though the manual controls were being used, Batman was flying his plane on autopilot. He was in his own zone. He had faced down countless enemies, and the number of lives he had saved was too high for him to even comprehend. But, throughout it all, he had undertaken each task with a level-headedness, and a calm, logical manner that would have left many in awe. And throughout all he had been through, all that he had seen and done, he had never had so many conflicting emotions assault him at one time.

This was his own biological son that he was racing to meet for the first time ever. Having a son of his own blood was something that he had always yearned for, but he had believed that it was something that he would never acquire.

That's not to say his other family members didn't hold a place in his heart. He had adopted Dick into his family a while ago. And no matter what problems they had, he would always think of Dick as his son. While Timothy had his own father, Bruce still looked at the young man as his own son as well. But this was different.

This wasn't a child he was hoping to take into his life, as he had in the past. This was his own biological son. A son, who, similar to his other children, had already lived a good portion of his life, and, in this instance, that was time stolen from him. He had no right to have wished for such time from those that came into his family later in life. But this young man, this Alexander, had been his family, his son, since the day he had been born.

He could only pray that once his son learned the truth, he wouldn't find himself packing for Gotham all alone. He had already missed so much in his son's life; he wasn't about to miss any more. Not if he had anything to say about it.

He had to remind himself to breathe and stay focused on what he was doing now. He had faced countless villains, and had defied death and dismemberment on so many occasions. So why was he so nervous now? He knew the answer to that. He had never felt as though he had so much to loose.

A loud chirping sound, and a flashing red light, from his communications console, broke him from his musings. He stared at it for a moment, before activating the link. He centered himself, and answered in a cool, calm tone.

"Batman."

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Sir, I just wanted to inform you that all arrangements have been made and are already taken care of. I am downloading the address of the warehouse through the link.

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"Thank you, Alfred"

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Not a problem, Sir. There was a brief pause. Would you like me to take the liberty of informing Master Tim, and Master Dick of recent events?

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There was a long moment of silence as Batman contemplated that question. After a few more moments, he came to a decision.

"No, I'll inform them personally when I see them next. Please inform them that I will be away for a short while. Revise the patrol schedule accordingly. Have Nightwing cover patrol as well, if you feel that the situation is warranted."

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Very good, Sir. I will do so right away. Sir, There was another pause, a pause that was beginning to concern Batman.

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"Alfred?"

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I'm sorry Sir. I took the liberty of going further into Master Alexander's background. There was another brief pause. I am downloading the information to you now. Some of it is quite disturbing.

Batman switched the plane to automatic piloting and turned on a holographic imager that lit the front view port with the information sent. He quickly began to sift through it.

It seems as though the youth has had many run-ins with the Law. A Detective Stein does not seem to be a fan of your son.

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Batman looked through the relevant information. "Gang Members on PCP, that's certainly a euphemism if I ever heard one." Batman began to read through more of the reports, paying close attention to what a few of the witnesses had said. "It seems that my son has saved quite a few people from these 'gang members.'" Batman began to smirk. "He's a vigilante." 'Must run in the family.'

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I certainly wonder where he got that certain attribute from. Batman tossed an amused look at the console before going back to the data in front of him. I had arrived to the same conclusion. That, however, is not the disturbing information.

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That stopped Batman cold. "What is it?"

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Go to appendix 4 of the second data file I sent.

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Batman quickly made his way to the new information. 'Hospital records?' He began to read, in detail, the numerous visits to the hospital his son had taken. Batman's eyes became cold as he read more and more. His hands clenched into fists as he continued to read the reports, the dates kept going further and further into the past. 'That bastard.'

With far more self-control than he believed he had, he reigned in his anger.

"Thank you Alfred. Is there anything else?"

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No Sir. Good luck and God Speed.

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"Batman out."

Batman sat back in his seat as the plane flew itself. His mood became quite a bit darker as he realized what sort of life his son, yes, his son, had been forced to endure.

His own childhood had been splendid. Well, up until the point where both of his parents had been murdered from a botched robbery. All of this was done in front of his young, innocent eyes. Those were eyes that would never be so innocent again. And sadly, it seemed as though his own son never even had the opportunity he had been gifted with, even for such a short while. No, Alexander's eyes had, most likely, never held the innocence that was intrinsic with a young child.

He took a deep and, hopefully, calming, breath. He had to get himself under control. Control was something that was essential to his being. He was rarely out of control. He shouldn't be jumping to conclusions without first meeting the young man. With the utmost willpower, Batman was able to pull himself together, which was a good thing.

The sun had just set, and he would be reaching his newly acquired warehouse in just a few moments. His nervousness was carefully masked. Not a soul could see through his calm mask of utter control. He was here on a mission, perhaps one of the most important missions of his life. Nothing was going to stop him from completing this mission. Tonight, he would see his son.

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Xander wandered the graveyard alone yet again. It had been a few days since his mother had left without so much as a goodbye. And, as weird as it sounded, he held no ill will for that particular act. In the past, she had contributed in making his childhood a hellish time. She may have never physically abused him, but if she wasn't neglecting him, or downright refusing to acknowledge his existence, she had, on occasion, let loose with a few verbal jabs. Granted she had always been in a state of intoxication when those jabs would come, but she tended to be drunk most nights. However, unlike with his father, Xander did have some pleasant memories of his mother. But those days had long since passed. He hoped that wherever she was now, she would be able to find herself, and become the woman she once was.

Xander looked around the darkness of the cemetery. The place chilled him to the bones, but it was still better than going home before midnight. Lest his father still be awake. He had been fortunate that his father seemed to be falling into a pattern of drinking himself into oblivion before midnight, and not even stirring until after Xander vacated the premises. He really didn't want to be around when his father exploded. With that being said, he clenched down on the dark feeling this place was sending him, and strolled deeper within the graveyard.

As the thunder clapped in the distance, he could feel the moisture forming in the air. It was going to rain. 'Great, just perfect. Now the weather can reflect my mood.' Any further musings on what the weather would bring was cut off ass an animalistic growl, one he had learned to be cautious, if not downright fear, came from the darkness behind him.

He readied his stake as he turned to face the source of the noise. With its demonic visage in full glory, the vampire bared its fangs in a predatory smile.

"Fresh meat!"

'God, do these things ever have an original line? Hell, why do they even talk before attacking.' As the vampire lunged at him, Xander's instincts took over. While verbally berating himself for letting his mind wander, he was able to avoid the vampire's claws as they took a swipe for his throat. He wasn't able to deflect the blow from the elbow the vampire landed to his gut, but he rolled with it.

The vampire, having expected the blow to be a killing one, suddenly found his victim not where he thought he would be. His apparent victim had put himself within striking range, well within his own defenses. It barely had enough time to let out a curse as it felt a sharp pain in its chest. Before any more coherent thoughts were able to form, the demonic energy dispersed from its host, and the body crumpled into dust.

Xander kneeled on the ground. Rolling with the blow had taken some of the power from it. And it had only been a lucky thrust that had ended the vampire's existence before he succumbed to the physical force of the vampire's blow.

He had to be careful. That could have ended badly. His stake was now part of the pile of dust, or ash. Thankfully it wasn't the only one he had. But he really needed to come up with a better plan. This was just tempting fate.

Through pure chance, Xander looked up at the gravestone and froze in place. He hadn't even realized where he had been when he had fought the vampire. There it was; the tombstone for his best friend, Jesse McNally. Perhaps that thrust had been guided after all. He let out a silent prayer, and a silent thank you. But before he could have any sort of inner dialogue with his long dead friend, a sense of foreboding made him turn around.

Out of the shadows came no less than 7 vampires. 'I am so screwed.' He reached under his shirt, and pulled another stake. The fact that the vampires were now chuckling at him didn't make him feel any better about the situation.

That was when it happened. From within the darkness, a form seemed to come alive and detach itself from its brethren. As it moved forwards, unnoticed by the vampires surrounding their victim, the figure defined darkness incarnate. Not to say that it was evil, but the darkness of the night seemed to envelop it, wherever it went.

As a lone bolt of lighting lit up the sky, Xander's eyes went wide as he saw the figure standing proud and unhindered. He stood there proud and powerful. Even though the man was slightly above average height, he may as well have been a giant, for that was the impression any that surveyed him would see. It was like something out of a movie, with his black bodysuit/armor giving the impression of power beyond any mortal man, his own unique symbol adorning his chest seemed to be complimented by the slight wave of his cape that was being gently brushed by the breeze.

All of this was seen in a singly instant as the lightning gave light to the night. The Batman was in Sunnydale, and these vampires didn't stand a chance.

With a smirk on his face, Xander flowed up from the ground with a grace not even he knew he possessed. His hand clenched against the smooth stake in his hands. One way or another, this would make out to be quite an interesting night.


	3. Ch 3

None of the vampires displayed any sign of noticing the imposing figure behind them. They had been somewhat surprised when the boy decided to rise to his feet and stand his ground. They began to advance on him, completely oblivious of their impending demise until a sharp, metal sliding along metal, sound was heard.

The vampires glanced at one another, as if trying to determine which of them made that noise. Of the seven vampires there, it was an unlucky one in the middle that was the first to become dust as an extremely sharp object pierced its flesh, biting through his neck, and completely decapitating him.

The actual decapitation had followed a hiss and the sound of wire cutting through the air. The sharp metal, that seemed to be made of the night itself, was at one end of the wire. If one could actually follow the object, they would notice a silver gleaming edge to it giving it the distinguishable shape of a bat.

The remaining vampires halted their movement in horrid amazement. There was brief movement behind them when the chord suddenly changed directions, wrapping itself around the neck of a large vampire standing just to the right of the one who was dusted.

As the chord began to retract to its source, the wire was quick to saw through the unlucky, and now dusted, vampire. With no more obstacles interfering with the chord's return to its device, the sharp metallic object snapped up in the air before making its way back home.

It was difficult to see the sharp object as it moved through the night air. It was only the fast reflexes that vampires have that enabled one vampire to avoid a killing slice as it returned home. The object still bit vampiric flesh, leaving a smoking wound along its face, and a screaming vampire in its wake. As the object finally reached its destination, the remaining five vampires saw who their attacker was.

All became silent. Even the screaming vampire had halted his cries of pain from his, still smoking, wound. There were horrified whispers going between the different vampires.

"Oh my god. It's Batman!"

"What's he doing in Sunnydale?"

"I don't know…why don't you go ask him?"

The vampires looked at each other, besides wetting themselves; they weren't quite sure what to do in this situation. It was the vampire with the gash along his face, the smoke having finally dissipated, was the one to speak.

"He killed Jason and Lenny. I say we return the favor."

None of the vampires made a move towards the still figure of Batman. Another bolt of lightning lit the pitch-black night sky. The shadows that fell across his figure were short, but intense, making him appear to be far more than human, and a true predator. And while most would find themselves fleeing from such a figure, the scarred vampire decided to rush the figure with impotent rage bellowing from his lips.

Batman stood there unmoving as the vampire charged him. When the vampire finally got close enough and leapt at him, a quick flick of his wrist produced some sharp, jagged metallic spikes that had been laying flat against his arm.

Had the vampire been paying attention, he would have noticed the similarity in the metal alloy the spikes were made of to the metal that had been etched into the razor edges of the object that gave him his new scar.

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Xander stood there, watching in awe and amazement, as the scene unfolded in front of him. One of the vampires lunged at Batman, only for Batman to use a thrust of his arm, and imbed a metal spike into the vampires chest. He found himself stuck, watching as the surreal scene of a vampire becoming dust at the feet of one of his very own heroes. Xander only had a moment to come to the realization that it was a metal object that dusted a vampire, and not wood, before the other four vampires decided to avenge their friend.

Xander watched as the battle took place. They were moving in almost a choreographed dance. The speeds they were using were so far above norms. He had always felt in awe as he watched Buffy move at speeds such as this, if not faster. But seeing a hero, such as Batman, do the same was awe inspiring.

Batman may not have been as fast as a vampire, but he was damn fast. Faster than any person (if that was indeed what the Dark Knight was) had any right to be, he made up in his lack of speed with an insurmountable amount of skill.

He was able to counter the clumsy punches and kicks being sent his way. Using their own speed against them as he used their momentum against them. He used the spikes attached to his costume to inflict smoking wounds along the torso of one unlucky vampire. As that vampire reeled back in pain, another tried to attack him from behind.

Whether he was actually able to see the attack coming, or if he just sensed it, Batman was able to get under the attack, the vampires fist sailing just over his head. Batman shifted his position, and lunged upward. The pointed ears in the costume rocketing up and catching the vampire in the chin. As the rest of his body rocketed upward, both of his arms jetted out towards both vampires.

The metal spikes from both arms found their way into the non-beating hearts of the vampires, turning them into dust. The remaining two vampires looked at each other, and at the same moment, realized that there was no way they were getting out of this alive. Even if they ran, Batman would pursue them. At the same moment, they both lunged towards Batman.

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Xander hadn't moved since this had started. Not that he really had a chance to in the past 30 seconds. The entire situation seemed surreal to him. He was watching Batman take on vampires like they were nothing. If the situation hadn't been so dangerous, it would have been watching in pure amusement as the remaining two vampires lunged at his hero. It was almost comical to see that Batman had anticipated their reaction.

Batman had lunged forward as the two vampires lunged towards him. He ducked and rolled below the claws of the two vampires. And, before they could react, with his back being braced by the ground, used his feet to further propel the vampires into a near by tree.

One unlucky vampire, or perhaps he was lucky, was impaled on a branch jutting from the tree and quickly became dust. The other vampire didn't even have the time to compose itself from its daze when there was a hiss of wire coming from behind it.

The wire wrapped itself around the body of the vampire. As it began to retract, a very powerful tug propelled in through the air. The vampire sailed over Batman's head as he was released from the chord. Still air-borne, the vampire went headfirst through a tombstone rendering it unconscious.

Xander looked at the downed vampire, and the ruined grave marker. He quickly glanced at Jesse's undisturbed gravesite, and sent up a silent 'thank you.' With a few quick paces he was beside the vampire. With a quick thrust of his stake, only the destroyed grave marker showed that a battle had taken place. Xander glanced in the direction Batman had been, to find the imposing figure staring right back at him.

Xander could feel Batman's intense stare boring into him. He wasn't quite sure what to say. To say that he was nervous, and confused beyond belief would be quite the understatement. The caped crusader was still there, just staring at him, and Xander wanted to make a good impression. 'Quick, say something intelligent.'

"Uh, hi." 'Oh yea…that's great' He sighed inwardly. 'Leave it to me, well, at least I didn't ask if I could 'have him' instead of help him, like I did with Buffy, that's just too confusing and disturbing to think about. Now, Batgirl maybe…' His musings and self-berating came to a halt as Batman finally spoke.

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Batman looked at his son. A child who would most likely have died had he not been in the middle of doing a recon of this small town. He had just located the seven bodies that showed no body heat and decided to follow them in his Batmobile.

All of them had arrived at the ending scene of a man and a vampire going at it. When the picture of his son was shown in the Batmobile, fighting the vampire, he almost drove it into the graveyard to protect his son, but his son was able to stake the vampire before he had the chance. The fact that the vampire had gotten a shot off at his son, and had connected, angered him to no end. He watched as the gang of vampires slowly approached his son, who was still on his knees in front of a particular grave. With a fierceness he hadn't felt in a while, he got out of the Batmobile, knowing that none of those vampires would be making it out of this with their skin intact.

He had been quick to destroy the vampires that were threatening his son. He nodded to himself as his son staked the last one he had throw through a gravestone. Now, both father and son were staring at each other, though only one knew it. He had no idea what to say to this complete stranger looking at him. He had been so quick to get here and had so many thoughts running through his mind that he had no idea of what to do, or what to say.

"Uh, hi."

Well, that would be one way to start. He almost wanted to chuckle as he saw his son berate himself for such an introduction. But outwardly, he kept his features schooled. He certainly wanted a father/son moment. But now was not the time. Or more precisely, this was not the place. He glanced around the apparently desolate graveyard.

"This place isn't safe."

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'This place isn't safe."

Xander looked up at the voice, to see Batman making his way into the shadows. Just when he thought the imposing figure was going to vanish completely, it stopped and looked back at him.

"Are you coming?"

Xander's eyes went wide as he quickly nodded. Walking with a much quicker pace he caught up with the man. As much as Xander tried to fight it, there was a small smile creeping onto his face.

As they made their way towards the street, Batman held up a small device and depressed a small button. A small red light blinked on the device, and a short distance away, the sound of metal retracting could be heard as headlight came on.

A sleek black, and very distinguishable, car came to a screeching halt right in front of them. The cockpit hood to the Batmobile slid back with a mechanical whoosh. Batman went around the car, and with practiced movement, quickly entered his vehicle.

Batman sat there for a moment, as Xander stood with wide eyes, and his jaw almost on the pavement. It was only pure luck, on Batman's account, that Xander glanced up at the Dark Knight.

If it was at all possible, Xander's eyes became even larger as he realized that Batman was waiting for him to get in. With a shit-eating grin, Xander launched himself over the side of the car, and fell into his seat.

'Holy crap these are some comfortable seats.'

Xander watched as the cockpit hood above slid shut, sealing them off from the outside world. He looked down at the dashboard of the Batmobile, and decided that what was in front of him would probably make NASA jealous.

"Don't touch."

Xander jerked his head up at Batman to find the man smirking back at him. Before he could come up with a retort of some kind, the car jerked forwards, and soon enough they were off at great speeds. The streets and buildings were just a blur as they blasted through the small town.

There had been complete silence in the car for the past few minutes. They were driving who knew how fast, and had gone who knew how far. Both occupants had been casting quick glances at each other, and both knew the other was doing it. Xander had wanted to say something, anything to the man, but really couldn't think of anything to say. He really didn't want to come off sounding like an idiot. The only thing he could think to ask was 'Where are we going?' But by the time he had drawn up the nerve to ask, they had entered a warehouse.

The car came to an abrupt stop in the middle of the warehouse. Besides the Batmobile there was a bank of computers, a Batplane, and a whole host of equipment that Xander had no idea what it was. There were also quite a few pieces of comfortable furniture scattered around the place.

The cockpit to the Batmobile slid open, and Batman quickly exited the vehicle with Xander not too far behind.

"Do you usually go to graveyards after dark alone?"

Xander looked up at Batman. His tone wasn't accusing, or upset. It was more curious than anything else. Xander shook his head,

"No. I usually go with some other people, but they aren't here right now. It's also the summer time, called the 'Summer Lull,' we usually don't get that many, or any vampires, on most nights."

Batman stared at him for a moment, before simply nodding.

"What brings you to Sunnydale?"

Batman looked at him for a moment, not quite sure how to answer, but knew one had to be given, and it had to be given now. So, in a tone that was all business, he gave one.

"Actually, I'm here for you, Alexander."

Xander's eyes became wide and nervous. He took an involuntary step back. Batman only went after criminals. And he had stolen the rocket launcher to help Buffy defeat the Judge. Was that why Batman was here? Was he here to take him into custody? Suddenly, it was getting hard to breathe. There was only one coherent thought that passed through Xander's head.

'Oh Crap!'


	4. Ch 4

Batman stared as his son's entire demeanor changed instantly. Where once the boy had been slightly nervous, there was now outright fear. He wasn't sure if it was all due to his reputation as Batman, all he did know, at this moment, was that he never wanted to see the horrified look in his son's eyes that were currently glued to his own. Where, with a criminal, he would most certainly push this advantage into obtaining the information being hidden from him, he just wanted to fix this. Besides, there would always be later to do some investigating, if it became necessary.

He watched as his son took a step back. Batman stayed where he was, as to not appear as threatening, and most likely failing. Be that as it may, he decided to press on with just why he was there. Though now, he would have to approach things delicately.

"I am here on behest of your father."

Xander stopped short. The look of out right fear turned to one of shock, relief, and then total disbelief.

"My Father?" Xander shook his head. "How in the hell do you know that piece of shit, Tony?"

Batman actually growled slightly in response, causing Xander to take an unconscious step backwards.

"That 'piece of shit,' as you so adequately put it, is not your father."

Xander just stood there, looking at the caped crusader with owl like eyes. It was a few more seconds before another word was spoken, but in the end, it was Xander who broke the silence.

"What do you mean, Tony isn't my father?"

In response, Batman walked over to a nearby table that had a few files neatly placed on its corner. Picking one up, he carried it over to his son who took it from Batman with a bit of reluctance.

Xander looked at the file. It was full of medical information. He leafed through the few pages a few times before looking back up at Batman.

"Umm, what exactly am I looking at?"

Batman walked over to stand at his son's side. "This is some medical information pertaining to both you and Tony Harris." He pointed to some information on the top of the page. "This here shows the difference in blood type." He pointed to the lower portion of the document. "This is a DNA test to show his compatibility as a biological father. You can see what it indicated?"

Xander looked at the results with wide eyes. He nodded his head. "It says that he's not compatible with me." Xander stared at the information for a few more seconds before gently closing the file. He couldn't help the huge smile that was plastered on his face, though he did have one, if not a few, confusing thoughts.

He looked up at Batman. "How exactly did you come by this information? And if you, or my real father, have had this, then why am I only learning about this now?"

Batman looked at the child in front of him, not quite sure how to answer this. After a moment, he decided to go with something that was as close to the truth as possible.

"Your father received this information, only hours ago." Xander's eyes lit up in amazement. "The information in the file you are holding was taken shortly after you were born. We used more recent data to verify all of this. And it all checks out."

Xander looked between the document in his hands and Batman. 'I wonder if Tony ever knew. Mom has always been a nurse. It would have been simply for her to keep all of this from him.' He looked back down to the file in his hands. 'Mom must have sent this to my father when she decided to leave.' He smiled another sad smile. 'She didn't want me to be alone.' It was then that an odd thought struck him.

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Batman watched as his son seemed to be lost in thought. A small smile appeared on his son's face, quickly followed by a confused look. It was then that his son asked him a question.

"And why, exactly, are you here?"

"As I said before, I'm here on behalf of your father. Someone needed to be here, and I could get here faster. And after what we found when looking into this town, speed was of the essence."

Xander thought on that for a moment before sending Batman a small smile.

"Thanks for the save by the way." He scrunched his brow in confusion. "What was it that you used on those vampires? It looked like metal, but it was able to dust them."

Batman pulled out a batarang. It was small, black, sleek and looked razor sharp. Where a normal one would have a shape similar to a bat, this one had some sort of metal etched into edged of the batarang, outlining the bat shape.

"This metal alloy, laced throughout this batarang, is called Trinium."

He handed the object to Xander, who accepted the smooth object with much care and delicacy.

"Trinium? I've never heard of Trinium before."

Batman shook his head. "You wouldn't have; it's a very rare and exotic alloy. It is said to be far lighter than steel and over 100 times stronger as well."

Xander looked up from his inspection. "But, how does that allow it to dust the vamp?"

Batman thought it over for a moment. This alloy was a part of a very well guarded secret. He had to tread lightly.

"It is said that the villagers, where this comes from, prey to their 'Spirits' to release their 'Key,' the Trinium. It is an entire religious affair, a gift from their gods, or 'Spirits' as the case may be." Batman watched as his son stared at his batarang with no small amount of awe. "And the end result is what you saw earlier tonight."

Xander was staring at the deadly weapon in his hands while whispering, "Holy Vampire Dusting Metal, Batman!"

Xander looked up to see Batman quirk his head slightly after hearing what he said. He smiled sheepishly at Batman, before giving the batarang back to its owner. There was another brief pause in the conversation. After another minute of silence, Xander got the topic back to where it had been before.

"So, when do I get to meet my dad?"

Batman looked at him for a moment before wordlessly walking back to the table where he had retrieved the file. He picked up a medium sized envelope. He stared at it for a moment, as if weighing his options, before bringing it over to Xander.

"I realize that all of this is a lot to take in at one time." He handed Xander the envelope. "In there is an invitation to a charity banquet in Los Angeles tomorrow night. Your father will be there. And, should you want to meet him, you can do so there."

Xander opened the envelope and found the fancy invitation inside.

"If I want to go, how do I get to LA?"

"Your father will send a Limo for you."

"And just how would I get in contact with him?"

Batman reached into his utility belt and handed Xander a small metallic object that had the bat insignia on it.

"That is a special communications device. It uses several satellite relays, and can reach me almost anywhere in the world." Xander stared, with wide eyes, at the small device. "With that you can contact me whenever you want. And if you decide to meet your father tomorrow night, just contact me. A limo will be sent to your house."

Xander shook his head. "Ah, no." Bruce's heart almost dropped, but outwardly, he remained an impassive expression. "If I do decide to go, I'd want the limo sent over to the high school, not to my house."

Bruce inwardly let out a deep breath, and it took even more willpower not to plaster a large smile on his face. He wasn't positive, but he had a good feeling that his son would be contacting him wanting a limo.

"You aren't going to tell me who he is?"

Batman looked at him for a moment. "Why don't you just make sure that this is what you want, before you do something prematurely? Rushing into this may cause a bigger mess than you both intended." Xander looked slightly downcast, but nodded his assent. "Come on, I'll drive you home."

Xander's thoughts were a million miles away as he got into the specialized car. It wasn't until the car suddenly jerked that he became aware of his surroundings. He looked over at Batman, who was smirking slightly.

Xander looked at him curiously. "What is it?"

"You should probably put on your seatbelt."

With that said, Batman pressed down on a small red button. Within seconds the batmobile was zooming down the streets of Sunnydale, a blur to all those who would have been on the streets at this early hour.

Inside the car, the outside scenery seemed to blur as well, not that Xander was paying much attention to it. He was trying to put his seatbelt on, but the damned thing seemed to have a mind of its own. After what seemed like forever, the thing finally 'clicked' shut. With a sigh of relief, he settled into his seat; only for the batmobile to stop a few seconds later.

"We're here."

Xander looked back and forth and in all directions. He glanced behind him, as if seeing an imaginary trail. 'How the hell did we get here so fast? How freaking fast were we going?' He was going to ask Batman, until he caught the smirk being sent his way.

After a moment, Xander smirked back.

"That was for the entire, 'Holy Vampire Dustin Metal' bit, wasn't it?"

He received no answer, but the cockpit slid open. Without another word, both men got out of the car and silently made their way from their concealed location, not far from the Harris residence.

Xander took a few hesitant steps toward his front door before turning around.

"I'll call you tomorrow with an answer."

Batman nodded. "Call on the earlier side. It takes a while to get from Sunnydale to LA."

'Not if you take the batmobile, then you could get there in 20 minutes.' Outwardly, Xander just replied with an Ok.

He took a few more steps towards his house. When he turned around again to say 'Thank you.' Batman was nowhere in sight. 'That is so much cooler than when Angel does that, well, did that.' Xander shook his head and went inside.

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Batman watched from the shadows as his son went into the house. His son had only been in there for a few moments when some shouting began. The sound of glass breaking was heard soon after.

Before Batman could react, the door swung open and Xander practically dove into the bushes on the side of the house, basically rendering him invisible. A few seconds later, a drunk and beer stained man with a beer gut stumbled to the front door. He was shouting and mumbling incoherently. All the while Batman seethed from his concealed location.

After a few short moments, Anthony Harris slammed the door closed. It was only a moment later that Xander was making his way up the side of the house using the lattice to climb to the second floor. Within a short time Xander was in his room.

The light was turned on, and then was turned off 10 minutes later. Batman waited another 10 minutes, not even moving in the shadows. When he was sure that not a motion came from within the house, he stealthily made his way towards the house. With a cold rage burning inside of him, he made his way in. He and Tony Harris were going to have some words.


	5. Ch 5

Batman had entered the house making not a sound. Before him was an overweight, drunken slob, mumbling incoherently while searching the room for something, another bottle of alcohol most likely.

The man had his back to him as Batman approached. No sign was shown that the man was even aware of Batman's presence until he felt the Dark Knight's breath on the back of his neck.

Tony Harris whirled around, expecting to confront his son, only to come to face the dark eyes of what he thought to be his death. Not that his inebriated mind could have come up with a coherent thought, but other than the sharp pain in his jaw, he had no time to form any other thoughts as his world descended into darkness.

Batman stood there for a moment, clenching and unclenching his armored fist that had just struck the man who had been abusing his son for god only knows how long. Batman had always been one to reign in his emotions no matter the circumstance, or so he thought. But, truth be told, he hadn't even registered throwing the punch until the action had been completed, and the drunken slob before him lay sprawled on the couch.

Shaking out of his musings, Batman glanced toward the staircase and listened intently. When he heard no sound of his son leaving his room, he turned his attention back to the bastard in front of him. He and Tony needed to have some words, but not here. Batman reached down and hauled the unconscious man out of the house. He made his way towards the Batmobile and grimaced as he deposited the man roughly into the passenger seat. He had to wince at the thought that this piece of garbage was soiling the seat his son had sat in not so long ago with his mere presence.

Batman made his way around the car and was quick to get in. He closed the cockpit and began to make his way out of the neighborhood. He had done a recon of this town earlier. He knew exactly where to go to do this.

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Anthony Harris had become used to the headache a hangover would cause. It had become almost a natural sensation that was almost a normal feeling nowadays. The sharp pain in his jaw was a new sensation, one that he hadn't felt in quite a while, his last bar brawl to be exact. That was the first thought that give him warning; something was amiss. The next realization confirmed this as he became aware of the fact that his feet were apparently dangling in the air. With more wariness than he usually showed, Tony Harris opened his eyes, and quickly wished he hadn't.

The sight was something that would haunt his nightmares for years to come, should he survive this experience. He was greeted with the enraged face of Batman. He knew who Batman was. He had watched the news on occasion, and he knew Batman's reputation. The visage in front of him was terror inducing, and the fact that Batman was holding him effortlessly, over the edge of a cliff, was a sobering experience. He saw the Dark Knight's eyes narrow dangerously, and found that he could no longer control his bladder as he began to wet himself in a state of panic.

Batman looked at the man he was currently hoisting in the air, with a good amount of anger and disgust. For a short moment his disgust surpassed his anger, as the man began to soil himself.

Batman turned slightly and tossed him onto the ground away from the cliff's edge. As if on instinct the man began to crawl backwards and away from his imposing figure. As Tony began to crawl backwards, Batman slowly stalked after him. When Tony's back finally collided with a tree, the man let out a whimper of fear.

In a meek and shaky voice he asked, "What do you want with me?"

Batman growled at him, causing Tony to push back against the unyielding tree. Batman was clenching his hands into fists, the action causing his Trinium Spikes to retract from their dormant position, lying against his armored arm. The movement of the, now noticeable, spikes caused Tony to yelp in shock. After a moment of unnerving silence, Batman responded.

"For years now you have been mentally and physically torturing that young man, that child that lives in your house." Normally Tony would have something to say whenever someone mentioned the boy, but as terrified as he was, for the first time in his life, Tony made an intelligent decision, and remained quiet. "Tonight I was there to witness your abuse first hand."

Tony was beside himself. How in the hell had Batman, of all people, taken any notice of his home life? This particular line of thought left him, as Batman leaned forward and spoke in an extremely menacing voice.

"Tonight it ends."

The last thing he remembered was Batman taking his first step forward before the overwhelming terror rendered him unconscious.

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Batman had taken but a step before the slob in front of him slumped to the ground. He stopped where he was and simply watched the slumped form. He could see the man's stomach rising and falling with each breath. As he was debating on what to do next, the sound of a twig snapping behind him drew his attention

A thin, lanky man with peroxide blonde hair, wearing a black leather trench coat stood behind him with a lit cigarette in his mouth and a cocky expression on his face.

"Hello Mate."

Batman looked at him for a moment. With a complexion that pale, the man couldn't be anything but a vampire. Good, he had some frustration to take out, and if it was a vampire, it had something he wanted, the jacket.

As he turned to address the possible vampire, it went on talking completely ignoring his movements.

"You know mate, me bird just left me. But before she left, for an entire week, she was raving about the 'dark warrior' who was going to give 'her kitten' new claws." The man with the British accent shook his head. "Now, me bird was a world class kook, who just flew the nest. But when she starts raving about the stars and her Ms. Edith, it's in one's best interest to listen." The man was now smiling dangerously. "Besides, she just left and I already miss her something fierce. Perhaps this will help me get me Dru back."

With concealed motions, Batman withdrew one of his 'specialized' batarangs. The vampire, however, continued talking; seemingly unaware of the danger he was in.

"Now, I don't know what I should have been expecting when I listened to that crazy bint, but it sure as hell wasn't you, Bats." He shook his head ruefully. "I mean, anything that would give her 'kitten' claws can't be all bad."

By the time he had finished that statement, Batman had already thrown his batarang. The darkness of the night cloaked the object as it flew towards its target. The throw was meant to incapacitate the vampire before dusting it. The reflexes on this vampire, however, appeared to be far greater than he had anticipated.

As the Trinium-laced, razor edge of the batarang neared, the vampire shifted his position, and instead of incapacitating him, it left a smoking gash along his cheek. The vampire looked pissed.

"Oy, what in the bleedin' 'ell do you think you're doin?" The vampire shifted into game face. "Here we were, having a nice conversation, when you had to go and do something like that. But if you want to play, then let's play." He pointed towards Batman's Trinium spikes. "And when I rip those off of your arm, you'll find out just why they called me William the Bloody, and Spike."

Just as Spike finished off his idle threat, he shifted position again, as if sensing something from behind him. By the time he had finished shifting his position, he had an identical gash on his other cheek, still smoking, as Batman caught the batarang from its return path.

Pissed off beyond belief, Spike rushed toward Batman, expecting to make good on his threat. Unlike most vampires, Spike had some actual knowledge on how to fight. He used his vampiric speed and strength, and a good amount of skill, to land a punch into the armored chest of Batman. The contact only staggered the Dark Knight back a step, but that was all that Spike wanted.

As Batman was forced back, Spike closed his hands around the spikes that had retracted from his arm. They looked sharp and jagged, but he was not expecting his undead flesh to start sizzling the moment his hands came in contact with them. With an unholy roar of pain he withdrew his hands, only to find them blistered and still smoking.

Batman used this to his advantage as he swept Spike's legs from under him. As Spike was heading for the ground, Batman's hand snaked out and grabbed the leather duster the vampire had been wearing.

As Spike rolled with his landing, the jacket was still grasped in Batman's armored hand. Batman tossed the jacket onto the ground and advanced on the downed vampire.

Even while cradling his damaged hands, Spike was able to make it back to his feet, and attempt to deflect the deadly and viscous attacks sent his way. Spike had to admit that whoever was behind the costume, they were a damn good fighter. The skill this man, or thing, was putting forth would have had a Slayer hard pressed as well. This fact was proven even further as the Trinium spikes on Batman's right arm seared Spike's flesh as his chest became impaled on the holy metal. It was only Spikes phenomenal reflexes, once again, that left this wound a non-fatal one, though, from all of the pain he was enduring because of those spikes, part of him wished for eternal rest.

Even with the holy spikes embedded in his chest, Spike let loose with one last ditch effort punch. He was close enough that the punch was able to land, dazing the Dark Knight slightly but still serving its purpose.

With the last of his strength ebbing from his undead body, Spike wrenched himself from the jagged spikes. He fell gracelessly to the ground. With blood oozing from his smoking wounds, and dripping from his mouth where he was coughing it up, he spoke to the trees.

"Kill them!" He wheezed. Then, in a stronger voice, he spoke again. "Kill both of them."

From out of the shadows, another 8 vampires appeared. Batman took stock of his surroundings. Tony Harris was still out cold, the vampires were beginning to surround him, and Spike; he was no longer there. In fact there was no longer any sign of the injured vampire, only his jacket remained.

The vampires began to circle around the caped crusader, seemingly ignoring Tony until their main threat was dealt with first. Batman took another quick glance at Tony, who was now starting to stir, though for some unknown reason, he didn't think the alcoholic slob would be of much help.

Taking out one of his Trinium edged batarangs, he launched it at the vampire closest to him. Before the weapon had decapitated its first victim, Batman was already on the move.

Three vampires seemed to turn to ash at the same moment as the batarang cleanly decapitated its victims. After that, the vampires had shifted position, causing the batarang to soar through the air before imbedding itself in a tree. But by that time it had served its purpose. The odds were now 5 to 1, and Batman had used the distraction to get in close between two other vampires.

He crouched low, with his back to both vampires, and launched his hands backwards. His spikes found their way into the unbeating hearts of both vampires, rendering them to dust. He brought his hands forward, just in time to catch a kick sent his way.

With as much power as he could put in it, he pushed himself up in the air, sending the vampire in the air. He lashed out with a kick of his own, and his armored foot found its way to the vampire's groin. In a cry of agony, the vampire made it down, and showed no sigh of getting back up in the near future. To his right, both remaining vampires began to advance on him.

He rolled across the dirt, all the while taking out a weapon from his utility belt. When he was at the proper angle, he depressed a trigger, causing his grappling line to shoot outward. The Trinium stud went through both vampires and didn't stop until it imbedded itself, and the vampires, into a tree behind them. With a flick of his wrist, the unit flew from his hand, wrapping the chord around the tree, and securing both vampires, who were howling in agony as smoke was emanating from their wounds.

Batman calmly advanced on the downed vampire and used his arm spike to slay it. He then proceeded to the tree that was his batarang's temporary resting place. Once he dislodged it from the tree, he whipped it at the two trapped vampires, cleanly decapitating both. Now the batarang found itself imbedded in a new tree, not too far from a wide eyed Tony Harris.

Batman saw the quivering man, who was still on the ground, and advanced on him. He didn't know how it was possible, but the man seemed to wet himself even further, but at this moment Batman didn't care.

As he approached the downed man, Tony let out a whimper of fear. The anger and hatred in his eyes would have made any man do the same. Batman finally got within inches of his personal space and leaned down.

"You disgust me, how you ever raised a child like Alexander, I'll never know."

"What does the brat have to do with any of this?" His voice was still weak, but Anthony Harris had never been a smart man. A smart man would have realized it would not have been a good decision to call Alexander a 'brat' at this particular moment. However, that was what Tony Harris had always referred to the kid as, it had been as normal as drinking. There was that, and the fact that he was so scared shitless; forming coherent thoughts was becoming a problem. Nevertheless, it didn't help his case as he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his jaw, in the same location he had earlier, and fell unconscious to the ground.

Batman just stared in sheer disgust at the man before him. The moment he had registered the word 'brat,' Batman saw red. By the time Tony had finished his question, Batman had already started the process of backhanding the drunk.

He wanted to throttle the man, and it took every ounce of willpower he had to stop himself. Instead he reached into his utility belt and retrieved his recall device for the Batmobile. Within a few seconds, the car was at their location.

Batman walked over and retrieved his equipment that had been imbedded, and wrapped around, the tree. He then went and retrieved Spike's duster. He opened the cockpit of the Batmobile, and laid the jacket across the passenger seat. He then went over to Tony and deposited the man with the soiled pants on top of the jacket.

Batman smirked at the scene. Perhaps he would have to find Spike and return the vampire his jacket, and then, of course, he would have to end the vampire's unlife. But that would come later.

He really hated the fact that his son had been in the same seat earlier, and now the man that had been the boy's 'father' was truly soiling the seat, and area, that his own son had graced earlier. He wasn't sure if it was some sort of balance or irony. In the end, he really didn't care; it just pissed him off to no end.

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He had gotten back to the Harris household with no problems. He roughly deposited Tony, face down, onto the couch. He looked around the disorganized house. He had to hand it to the kid. He didn't come from a great environment, but he was out there, apparently every night, trying to help people.

He glanced up the stairs to the closed door leading to his son's room. He quietly made his way up the stairs and stood quietly outside his son's room. He stood there in complete silence, debating on going in there and taking his son away from all of this right now.

After what seemed like hours, he simply placed a gloved hand tentatively against the door and held it there for a moment. After a few cleansing breaths he turned and made his way out of the house.

Tomorrow was going to be a busy day.


	6. Ch 6

It was only 8 in the morning when Xander awoke. He was somewhat surprised to find that he felt so full of energy. He had figured that he would be up all night thinking about what he had experienced, and learned, last night.

'I can't believe that I really met Batman!' That was the first coherent thought that greeted him. Just after that came an influx of memories and the emotions tied to the memories from the events that transpired last night.

He had almost done the Snoopy Dance when Batman had informed him that Tony Harris wasn't his biological father. In fact, had the Dark Knight not been present, Xander figured that he would still be dancing. As great as the feeling being associated with knowing that the passed out drunk of a man was not his father, it was the next bit of information that took some of that good feeling away.

It wasn't a bad feeling. Actually it was far from it. Tonight, he could meet his father. Again, that was definitely not a bad feeling. But it was one that made him extremely nervous, perhaps even more so than he had been in a long time.

This mystery man seemed to want to know him. It was up to him to go through with it or not. And for the life of him, he was scared of doing the wrong thing. This was someone that he didn't know. This was someone who apparently never even knew that he had a child, well; he never knew he had Xander as a child. Xander's eyes lit up with that thought.

'Oh my god, do I have any brothers or sisters?' He quickly swiveled up in bed and placed his feet on the floor while he sat at the edge of his bed. 'Can I really bring people into this world?' He placed his head in the palm of his hands as he let out a small groan.

It was a safe bet that, whoever he was, he knew about things that went bump in the night. And if he didn't, Batman would be sure to tell him. Especially since his 'Son' was apparently in the thick of it.

'Is he going to try and pull me away from everyone here?' There would be hell or high water before he ever abandoned his friends. Especially for someone he didn't even know; biological ties or no biological ties. His friends, the 'family' he made, would always come first.

There was one thing for sure, he did have friends, and to him they were more like a family than those he had called family. They had a right to know all of this. And at the very least, they could help him make a decision on just what to do. This wouldn't be a simple question of whether or not he should meet the man; there was also the subject of how much the guy would know, and how much he should be let in on.

With that thought in mind, he quickly and quietly made his way out of the room. Xander crept down the hallway without making a sound. As he neared the steps to go downstairs into the den, he peeked down to get a quick glimpse into the room.

Xander almost snorted in disgust. It looked as though he could have gone banging a marching band drum for all the effect it would have had. There was Tony Harris, lying face down, passed out, on their family couch. Xander shook his head in disgust, once again thankful to whatever kind deity saw fit to inform him that he was in no way biologically related to that pile of human excrement.

Shaking his head, Xander made his way to the bathroom intent on a quick shower, a change of clothes, and few quick calls before heading out for a bite to eat. He would set up a meeting at the library for a few hours from now. Then whatever would happen, well, would happen.

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Xander sat in one of the wooden chairs inside the library. He seemed to be staring at nothing, his mind a million miles away. Whatever it was that he had been musing about was quickly forgotten as doors to the library burst open, and all of his friends seemed to herd in all at once.

A tired looking Rupert Giles held the door open for a red eyed Joyce Summers. He quietly followed her into the library. Oz was holding the door open for Willow, and if those two weren't a couple by now, they would be before thee week got out. And, somewhat to Xander's own surprise, Cordelia Chase actually made her way in behind Willow, while Oz was still holding the door open. It wasn't to his shock that she was the first to speak, before any of them had sat down.

"Ok Dweeb Boy. Why the hell are you interrupting my beauty sleep?"

Xander just smiled at her while trying to be as charming as possible. "As if you would need any sleep in that case, Cordy."

That didn't seem to mollify her. She just hardened her glare. "Well I still need time to pack. I leave for my family vacation in a week and a half." She huffed. "Not that you would know anything about needing to pack, dweeb."

Xander just shook his head while muttering, "Perhaps a few more hours wouldn't have killed her?"

"What!"

He looked up at her and smiled sheepishly. "What? I didn't say anything."

Her glare just intensified, causing Xander to roll his eyes and stand up. "I'm sorry Cor." He pointed to a seat and asked her to join the rest of them.

When she noticed that she was the only one standing she rolled her eyes and made her way to sit down.

Xander looked over to the two adults and gave them apologetic smiles. He knew that they were both desperately looking for Buffy. He didn't know how long they could keep this up. From the looks of it, they hadn't gotten any sleep since she left those few weeks ago.

With a sigh, Xander began. "I'm sorry for waking some of you up. But some important things have happened, and some new information that is important to me just came to light. And I felt it was important to share it with you; especially since it has the possibility of affecting everyone here."

He glanced at Willow; her attention was entirely on him, like the old days, bringing a small smile to his face. Oz had the same stoic face that spoke of controlled emotions. Xander couldn't help but to wonder what had caused the young musician to wear such an unreadable mask, well that and to remind himself to never play poker with the man. Cordelia, on the other hand, seemed to be trying to show how little she cared for whatever it was that was saying, though her eyes betrayed her apparent indifference.

Both Joyce and Giles seemed to just sit there, and try to take whatever was coming; the fact that they both had slept so little in such a long time wasn't helping him out at all. So, it wasn't that much of a shock when Giles spoke up.

"I do not mean to sound rude, but if this doesn't have anything to do with an apocalypse, would it be possible to hold this meeting off for another day, or another time? I am ever so much in need of some sleep, and I believe that there are more pressing concerns at the moment." The last statement was made with some furtive glances in Joyce's direction.

"I promise you, G-Man, if there wasn't a timing factor, I would have waited to tell you." Xander sighed as he glanced down at the table; thereby missing the quick glare sent his way by Giles. The man really didn't enjoy his 'G-Man' moniker. "But this really does need to be discussed now." He glanced back up to shoot both adults an apologetic glance. Giles simply nodded while Joyce actually smiled before speaking to him.

"It's ok dear. Please let us know what's on your mind. And thank you for including me."

Xander simply nodded. "Ok, where to start?" He sighed as he leaned back in his seat. "Well, to start of with, my mother recently took off from home, leaving just me and my father." He would have continued if not for Willow's gasp of surprise and what can only be called Willow-babble.

"OhmygodXander!Whydidn'tyousayanything?Youcan'tpossiblyliveinthatplacewithjustyouandthatmanthere!" The last part was 'spoken' with an indignant screech.

Xander smiled to his oldest friend as he let out a small chuckle. Everyone else had shock written across their faces. Whether it was because of his news, or because of the 'Willow-babble' he wasn't sure.

"I didn't say anything, Wills, because there was already so much going on. And it wasn't anything that I couldn't handle."

Willow, who had finally taken the chance to breathe, looked at him as though he were crazy. "Don't you give me that, Buster! You should have told me." She shook her head indignantly. "There is no way in Hell that you are living alone in that house with that man."

Before anyone else could ask what was going on, or inquire into his home life, Xander spoke up.

"At the moment, that's neither here nor there. Some new information has come to light, and that is why I asked for this meeting."

Giles began to stutter as he cleaned his glasses. "Wh-what is it that you wish for us to know?"

Xander took in a deep breath. He knew that some of this wasn't going to go over all too well. He only hoped the shocked factor would work in his favor.

"I met Batman last night."

"Good Lord!"

"What?"

"You met…wait. Last night? You were patrolling weren't you?" Yep, leave it to Willow to jump from one thing to another like that.

Once again the Giles' glasses came off as he began to clean them, but before anyone could begin with the new line of questioning, Xander raised his hands in protest.

"First of all, yes. There are still vampires out there. You know, the type that needs to kill people in order to feed. I have absolutely no intention of leaving people out there to die, and you all should know that." Seeing that the yelling was still coming full force, he decided on another tactic. "Look, can we hold off on the 'Xander you can't do this' conversation for another time, it's not what we're here to discuss."

Giles sighed. "Very well, but do not believe for a moment that we will not be continuing this discussion at a later date." Xander simply nodded in defeat. "And just why is Gotham City's protector in Sunnydale?"

Xander smiled at them sheepishly. "He was actually here to see me."

"Oh dear."

"What!"

"Was it because of the rocket launcher?"

Joyce's head snapped around at him as a look of shocked confusion covered her face. He sighed, he really needed to thank Willow when this was all over. Not to mention the sudden look of panic that overcame Cordelia's face when that was suggested was something he could have done without.

"No Willow, it wasn't for anything like that." He could feel Joyce's gaze on him, but this was definitely not the time for this particular conversation. "He was here on behalf of my father." Before any more gasps, or cries of surprise could be uttered, he stood up with his hands held high, warding off their replies. He looked to each of them in turn.

"Before any of you ask me how it's possible for Tony Harris to know Batman, you should know something that Batman told me last night." He glanced at everyone there, and he was somewhat pleased to see the rapt attention of everyone present. "Tony Harris is not my father." With that he sat back down and waited for the questions to begin.

After a few questions, ones Xander didn't have any answers for, such as 'Who is your father?' He was able to tell the events of the previous night undisturbed. He then proceeded to inform them of how he was to meet his father tonight, producing both the invitation and the electronic communication device Batman had given to him.

There had been a moment or two of silence as everyone reflected on what they had been told. It was quickly decided that if he wished to meet his father, he had everyone's blessing and best wishes to do so. How much to tell the man was a different matter. As was whether or not to hold off on the meeting until more thought could be put into this.

Apparently that decision was taken out of his hands as a squeal could be heard in the room. Suddenly all eyes were on Cordelia, who seemed to be bouncing in her chair as she stared with side eyes at the invitation. Xander stared at her in amazement. 'I never knew that Cordy could make a sound like that.' That brought a grin to his face.

Cordelia began to breathe hard as she finally looked up and towards Xander. "Oh we are so definitely going tonight."

Xander shook his head. "Cor, I don't think…wait…We?"

Cordelia looked at him in outrage. "Do you have any idea of what this is?" She asked him while waving the invitation. "The Belmont charity event is where the Who's who of the elites gather. The richest of the rich, the best fashion designers, models, actors, producers, movie stars, the best of the best all go to this thing. Hell, no matter how hard my daddy tried, he could never get an invitation to this place. And your daddy just gives you one?" She shook her head as she glared at him. "Don't you think for a second that you are going to leave me out of this! You owe me. You even woke me up early this morning. I am so going with you."

Xander stared at her in mute shock. 'Is my father one of elite?' Xander mentally snorted. To him it wouldn't matter if the guy was a waiter or a janitor working the gig. He had to be better than Tony was. Either way, the nervous feeling was back, and stronger than ever. More than likely his biological father was a Who's who of the elite. After all, the man knew Batman, and had the guy running errands for him. It was with these thoughts running through his head that Xander spoke without truly thinking.

"But I don't even have anything to wear."

Cordelia's eyes lit up at this. "Oh shopping!" That snapped Xander out of his musings, with terrified eyes he looked at the cheerleader. She didn't seem to notice. "Willow, Oz, how about it, my Daddy's treat!"

Willow and Oz looked at each other. Oz just shrugged, causing Willow to beam a smile in his direction, before smiling at Xander.

"I wouldn't miss this for the world. "

Both Joyce and Giles declined to go, saying they needed as much rest as possible. Though should Xander need them, they would of course be there for him.

Xander just stared around the table with wide eyes as he thought about the shopping that was about to be done before the big event tonight. 'What the hell did I just get myself into?'


	7. Ch 7

Xander couldn't help shivering at the memory. Today would be a day that would haunt him for all time. It wasn't contacting Batman to inform him to send a limo to the High School library; that had been simple, not to mention cool. It was what came after that particular call that would haunt him until the end of days.

Demons, vampires, master vampires, assassins made of bugs, none of those could compare to the horrors that he had been experienced to just hours earlier. If the torture wasn't enough, the laughter and smiles, that had to be mocking, were constant; assuring his prolonged torture. There was only one word to describe the torture used on Xander that particular day. A torture so brutal that it made him want to go home, curl up into the fetal position, and rock himself to sleep; and that word is 'Shopping.'

To Xander, shopping all on its own is torture enough, but shopping with Cordelia Chase, was far worse a fate than he would wish on any demon or vampire. Hell, he wouldn't even have wanted to subject Angel to such a brutal torture, and that was saying a lot. And, if it wasn't just the experience of shopping with her, smiles and laughter at his plight, it was seeing those same expressions on a girl who was 'supposedly' his bestest bud in the entire world, Willow, who will now be known as Willow the Traitor.

He shivered at the memory of those women making him try on an assortment of suits, and tuxedos. He didn't care what he wore, anything was better than what he owned, but Cordelia was insistent that he be dressed properly for such an occasion. And, he had to admit, once you got past the grueling horror of it all, it was a nice and sweet gesture.

Xander shook his head at the memory. 'Ok, fine, so perhaps Willow isn't a traitor. Still, she and I are going to have words later about all of this.' He never, ever, ever, ever wanted to be anywhere near a female who was shopping, ever again. Especially if they were shopping for evening wear, he didn't want any part of that.

He had no idea that it could be so…that there were so many…actually; it's best if we stop thinking about it, lest we make him weep. Though, there was some comfort in the fact that Oz had let out an involuntary shutter. And for the bass guitarist, that was the equivalent to an earth chattering cry of anguish. So, all in all, it's better to reflect upon the present.

At the moment the four of them had recently arrived in LA, and were just moments away from arriving at the entrance to the Belmont charity event. As the limo came to a stop, that sudden nervous feeling came right back into the pit of his stomach. To say he was a bit nervous was quite the understatement. He never even registered getting out of the vehicle just behind his friends.

The outside world seemed to dim for Xander. He was completely focused inward, causing him to take no notice of the famous people all around him. Willow kept going between looking awestruck at the people around her, to shooting worried glances at her oldest friend. Oz seemed to have achieved his Zen-like state that was habitually Oz.

Xander was so nervous about this encounter. He was somewhat afraid of what in would entail. What questions would be asked? What would be expected of him? Did the man just want to meet him to see who he was? Did he even want a son, a son who was almost an adult? How much did the man know about his 'night life?' Hell, how much did the man know about him? Because, Xander certainly knew very little about his recently discovered biological father. There were so many questions, so many things to worry about; that it was no wonder his mind had fled inward as he mindlessly followed his friends, those he trusted. He most likely would have stayed there for some time, had it not been for Cordelia, who had been constantly ogling all of the famous people, for which there was no shortage of.

"What do you mean we can't get in? We have an invitation!"

Cordelia's indignant screech jolted Xander from his inner panicking. He looked around and saw that they were suddenly gaining a few stares from the people around them. That was something that Cordelia also noticed, and quickly pulled herself together as the doorman responded to her.

"This invitation is for one person. And there are 4 of you. I'm sorry, but one of you may enter. The rest stay out here."

Cordelia looked indignant, and was about to respond, until Xander placed his hand on her shoulder and pulled her back.

He gave her a steady gaze. "Cordelia, this is not how I wanted to be introduced to my father." She cast her eyes down as she realized how important a moment she may have just ruined. In a lighter tone he continued. "Be that as it may, I want you guys there. And if they won't let you in, I say we rearrange this for another time." He saw Cordelia's eyes widen in panic, but she held her tongue and simply nodded. He smiled at her. "I realize this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for you. If you want to use the invitation, go right ahead. I'm sure we can find something to do in LA while you're living it up with the rich and famous."

Cordelia looked at the man, who was giving her his lopsided grin. She couldn't help but smile back at the man. She knew how important this was to him. She also knew that she had basically made him take her, and his other friends, along for the ride. She smiled at him and did something that if asked she would deny until her dying day.

"No, thank you though. This is your night. As much as I'd like to go inside there, it just wouldn't be right." She could almost feel herself cringe as she said that. Her inner 'Queen C' was reeling at her in disgust, but she remained steadfast. "Besides, if your daddy can get you an invitation like he did with no notice, I'm sure he can do the same for the next one that's around here." With that proclamation, she graced her friends with a brilliant smile that was completely and utterly Cordelia.

Xander smiled at her while placing an arm around her shoulder, and his other arm around Willow's shoulder. He looked straight at Oz. "So, what should 4 young, well dressed, and beautiful people like us do for an evening in LA?" That caused Cordelia to snort, while someone just behind them gave a polite cough.

They turned around to face the same doorman as before. Unbeknownst to them, while they had been having their conversation, another conversation had been taking place within the small receiver in his ear.

In a pleasant voice, the man said. "Everything has been taken care of. You may all enter whenever you wish."

The four young adults looked to one another in a mixture of confusion and astonishment. But, in the end, it was Xander who spoke up.

"Thank you, Sir. I think we need a few minutes." The man nodded and went to retake his position by the door.

Xander looked at his friends. "So, what's the plan?"

Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Oh, come off it Dweeb Boy, we're going in."

After she finished her comment she gave him a small smile. He looked back at the doors to the building, and then back at Cordelia, who sent him a small smile. He took a deep breath and gave her a small smile in return. Nodding his head, he proceeded towards the large entrance, with his friends but a few steps behind.

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Xander wasn't sure if they had perchance accidentally stepped onto a movie set. There were tons of famous people. Whether they be millionaires, movie stars, various actors, designers, inventors, and a whole plethora of other various people, they were all around him. And as awe-inspiring a sight it was to behold, only one person there would be able to hold his attention. Well, the vast number of models was doing a good job, but in the end, it was his father he was looking for.

Willow and Cordelia had been continually gasping as they named the people all around them. Tony Stark, Bill Gates, who Xander had mistakenly heard 'the Devil', Nikolas Natchios, a whole host of movie stars and actors that would have left him breathless, but he was barely paying attention to it.

Until his dying day he could swear he had absolutely no idea of what it was that made him glance to the far side of the room. He still had no idea of what caused him to lock eyes with a rather large, and impressive man. Brown eyes met brown eyes as the man continued to walk towards them.

Xander had no idea how he knew, but he knew that this was the man. His mind was going a thousand miles an hour. It was so hard to think straight, let alone breathe properly. This man was his father, and for the life of him, his mind wouldn't connect the dots and give him a name to go with the face. It wasn't until Willow's gasp of 'Bruce Wayne' that the connection was filled. His breathe hitched, and had he had the mental faculties to do so, his eyes would have bulged. Instead, he stared unflinchingly, and in complete shock, as his father, the one and only Bruce Wayne, approached his location.

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Bruce made his way over to his son. He had never been so nervous, though through years of practice, and an insurmountable amount of willpower, he was able to place a calm mask over that nervousness. Going into battle, facing life and death situations, they all had nothing on this particular moment. And, as he finally neared his son, just moments away from 'officially' meeting his own life's blood, he noticed that one could hear a pin drop.

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Almost all thought stopped in Xander's mind, as his father finally reached his destination. Here he was, his father, standing just inches away, and he couldn't even think. To say that this new development was a shock, wholly underdefined the term. Learning of the 'Night Life,' that was a shock. To him, this was almost in a whole new league.

The first thing he was able to comprehend was that his friends were apparently aware of what was happening. He didn't turn around to confirm this, but from the sudden quiet around him, he knew that they were aware.

Though, had he turned around, he would have noticed that not just his friends suspected something was happening. The couples, and groups, standing around who had been idly chatting, were now focusing their attention on the young man standing next to the well known billionaire. As the silence caused by the lack of chatter descended in the room, it wasn't a total shock that it was Cordelia's surprised voice that rang across the room.

"No Way!"


	8. Ch 8

I do apologize for the long wait on this, any my other fics. It seems that everything I have is a WIP, not sure if that will ever not be the case, but I'll see what I can do. I'm hoping to get out another chapter for this fic by the end of the week; but first I will be updating another of my fics, The Witness. Again, I'm sorry for the wait; please enjoy the new chapter :-)

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The distant echo of a feminine voice exclaiming 'No Way!' was basically lost on the young man. Xander could literally feel his brain shutting down, had it not been turned off all ready. Just coming up with basic responses seemed to be a problem.

He was barely aware there were others present. Time had no meaning to him. How long had he been standing in front of Bruce, his father, no…Mr. Wayne? How was he to address the man? Was he even supposed to? This man was basically royalty. The 'Prince of Gotham' he had heard that title in passing. He had never really given it any thought, but now that title almost threw him for a loop.

Was he supposed to address the tall, prominent figure in front of him? The same figure that may in fact be, no, the man certainly is, his father?

The sensation of moving was the first thing to come to the forefront. He was walking. When did he start walking? How long had he been standing in front of Mr. Wayne? Had either man said anything? Oh god, had he said something stupid?

He tried as hard as he could to concentrate, but in the end, the only sensation, or memory, he could pull up was the gentle, reassuring touch of Willow's hand on his shoulder, giving him an affectionate squeeze as she excused herself and the rest of his group to give Xander some private time with his father.

'His Father'. That simple statement shouldn't have such an affect on him, should it? He's had a father his entire life. Well, sort of. No, on the other hand Tony Harris was nothing more than a Bastard. Never a father would that man make. And Xander knew he was in trouble, when talk like Yoda he thinks.

No, Tony Harris was never a father. Even before Xander found out that, thank the lord, no Harris blood flowed through his veins, Tony Harris could never be considered a father. But, what about the man standing next to him? He knew what it was about the man standing next to him.

Tony Harris had no redeeming qualities to shed a ray of hope for the future. This man was his opposite. While Tony couldn't get a spark, Bruce Wayne was a veritable super nova. And perhaps the hope for the future, but that dark voice telling him everything would go wrong, that such a man couldn't truly want anything to do with a lowly kid like him; those conflicting emotions were perhaps what was trying to cause the mental shutdown that Xander was almost welcoming.

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Bruce had an overwhelming feeling of concern when his son when non-responsive. To be completely honest, some of the encounter seemed to blur together. Who was trying to talk to whom, who was trying to answer whose question? The lost look in his son's eyes just took over everything else.

He was grateful for his son's red headed friend; she had quietly introduced herself as Willow. Just by placing one hand, gently on his shoulder, had pulled him from whatever trance like state he had been in. He wasn't out of the water. But truly, what did he think would happen?

This was somewhat overwhelming for him too. It was only his many years of training himself, and his own willpower, that allowed him to keep himself as relatively calm as he displayed.

Willow had told him, in a soft, soothing, and caring voice, that she was going to give the two of them some time together, but if Xander, his son, needed her, she wouldn't be, none of them would be, too far away.

So, here he found himself. Slowly walking amidst the stares of the others around here. There were some around here, Lex Luthor being one, that he had wished would pay him no mind. A few of tonight's patrons returned to their normal conversation, but there were still a few eyes following them. He spared a glance at his son, who was simply walking along side of him. To be honest, Bruce wasn't sure if Xander was even aware of his actions. All he could do was to continue to talk to the kid; hopefully he would breakthrough whatever wall was blocking him from the outside world.

Bruce had to suppress a smile as he saw the life slowly returning to his son's eyes. Bruce couldn't help but to suppress a chuckle at his son's confused expression and eloquently questioned 'Huh?' to some question. There was something in his son's eyes that told him that he thought the question asked of him was something profound.

Bruce couldn't suppress his smile, and in a light tone, he asked his question once again.

"Are you thirsty?"

"Ah, what?"

Bruce had to chuckle again. 'He's becoming more lucid. Let's try that again.'

Directing him to the corner of the room, Bruce tried it once again. "There's a bar in the corner. Would you like a coke, or something?"

"Ah, yes sure. My throat suddenly feels a little dry."

This time Bruce did smile, and brightly. His son's voice was barely a whisper, but it was there. And if Xander wanted a coke, hell, perhaps he should buy the company.

'Don't start stupid things like that. Let's start with a glass first. We can talk about acquiring the company later.'

Bruce was directing Alexander towards the corner bar when a slender, elder lady with white hair intercepted his arm. Bruce tried to hide his grimace in a smile.

"Mrs. Lavington, it is always a pleasure to see you. May I introduce you to Alexander? He,"

The old woman cradled his outstretched arm in hers as she interrupted him. She shot a quick glance at Xander as she replied, "A pleasure to meet you Alexander, I am sure." She quickly brought her attention to the multi billionaire. "There is a guest you simply must meet, Bruce." Before Bruce could reply with his obvious dissent, she pressed further. "I assure you, Mr. Wayne, this won't take but a moment."

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Xander was finally back among the land of the living. Well, at least he had a solid foothold among the living. There was still a part of his mind that refused to come back fully to the reality of the situation.

He was vaguely aware that Mr. Wayne was leading him somewhere. But now, there was a lady who was requesting his attention to be presented towards some other people. Xander had already felt somewhat out of place here before this night began, there was no way he was going to be responsible for creating any sort of disturbance.

He lightly tugged on the arm that was gently guiding him to wherever their destination had been. This small gesture quickly gained Mr. Wayne's attention before the man could voice any sort of response.

"It's ok, Mr. Wayne." He glanced to his right where a cool breeze caressed his face. There was an open-faced courtyard just beyond the doors no more than a few feet away from him. It looked nice out there. Cool, calm and peaceful. He glanced back at the rich man. "I'll be just out there." He nodded towards the open doors. This was a good idea. It was beginning to feel warm in here, and it was definitely getting hard to breathe. And when you factored in the different sets of eyes that seemed plastered on both himself and the billionaire, going outside seemed like the best idea he had ever thought of.

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Bruce suppressed a sigh and nodded his consent. Allowing the elderly lady to guide him away, he couldn't help but to watch as Xander aimlessly made his way outside, sans a drink, and wander to a bench in the moonlit courtyard.

He could barely pay attention to whomever it was that he was speaking too. He was pretty sure that they knew his attention was elsewhere, but they were polite enough to simply ignore it.

When he apologized for his apparent lack of interest; they were understanding about the situation that they knew nothing about. He quickly made his excuses, and left them to their own conversation. When this was all done, he was going to have to find out who he had been talking to. Perhaps he owed them an apology, but one good turn definitely deserved another.

He began to head towards his son's position, when a stray though stopped him mid-step. With a chuckle in his throat, he headed towards the bar, intent on getting both himself, and his son, a coke.

As he was approaching the bar, he became acutely aware of a set of eyes that had never left either his son or his own person since the first encounter. He couldn't suppress a smile, one that was quickly returned. As he made his way up to Tony Stark, a plan slowly formed in his mind.

Once the quick plan was placed out, Stark signaled over a large black man to the bar they were at.

"Bruce, I would like you to meet Jim Rhodes. He's one of my top body guards." He glanced over at Rhodes, who nodded his head respectfully. Bruce gave the man a lopsided smile while shaking the other man's hand. Tony waited for Bruce to order his two sodas before continuing. "Rhodey, Bruce was asking if we'd be willing to help with a little problem he was having."

Tony's smile grew as he outlined what he wanted his friend and bodyguard to do. Rhodes simply shrugged and walked over to the other few security detail workers on Stark's payroll. In short order they had the courtyard clear and no one was getting in there without Tony's consent.

With two sodas in his hand, Bruce nodded his thanks to Tony, who simply nodded back. With that done he slowly made his way towards the almost empty courtyard, where his son sat on a bench, seemingly lost in thought, and contemplating the world.

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A torrent of thoughts and emotions were being spent, focused on this new development in Xander's life. He was jostled out of his trance-like state when he felt something position itself next to him.

Glancing to his right, he realized it was the focus of those emotions, none other than Bruce Wayne, multi billionaire, The Prince of Gotham, humanitarian, a whole host of other titles, and the one that was currently throwing Xander for a loop, his father.

It was next to impossible to think as the stranger sitting next to him as anything other than Mr. Wayne. It seemed almost disrespectful to do otherwise.

The man shifted slightly, prompting Xander to notice that he was trying to give him something. Upon closer inspection, it was a glass of soda. That was a good thing; Xander couldn't remember his throat being so dry. Then, another thought hit him. 'When was the last time Tony ever gave me anything? Well, other than the usual abuse.'

Numbly reaching for the glass, Xander took it and gave a slight nod of thanks. He began to reflect on the life he had; the life he had to live at home with an abusive imposter as his father. None of it seemed fair, and he was quickly becoming depressed and quite angry at life for having let him live the lie for so long. Thankfully, he was drawn out of those thoughts by Bruce's voice.

"So?"

It wasn't much, but it did bring him out of his reverie. Xander gave a slight smile before responding.

"So."

There was a brief moment of silence before Bruce spoke up again.

"It's a beautiful night out tonight." It was nothing important, but anything to start off a conversation had to be tried.

Xander nodded, "Yeah, its quiet." Oh God, how he hated the quiet.

Glancing around the courtyard, Xander noticed the lack of people out there. In fact, if he wasn't mistaken, he and Mr. Wayne were the only two out there. And beyond that, he could swear that there were people guarding the entrance.

That had almost made him laugh; until he caught sight of the eyes staring at both Mr. Wayne and himself, through the window. Even if they were alone in this courtyard, they weren't truly alone.

Bruce glanced at the young man next to him. He wasn't quite sure what to say. Sure, he had semi-rehearsed a 'talk' between the two of them. But that didn't seem likely to happen anymore.

Noticing that Xander's vision was focused off to one side, Bruce looked to the window his son was staring at. He had to stifle a sigh at what he saw. He had figured that someone would notice the two of them tonight. But he had been hoping to keep that number to a minimum. And even without Clark warning him some time ago, he would not want to have Lex Luthor staring unflinchingly at the both of them from within the main lobby.

He glanced back at the boy, who was now staring at his empty soda glass.

"Would you like to get away from prying eyes?"

Xander glanced up at him. "What about my friends?"

Bruce reached into his coat pocket and discretely withdrew a plastic hotel key card.

"This goes to the penthouse in the hotel across the way. Give it to your friends; they can use it whenever they get tired of this party."

Xander accepted the card and looked at it warily. "Is that where we'll be?"

Bruce thought to himself for a moment. It would be a good place to go. It would be quiet, and they wouldn't have to worry about prying eyes. However, something told him that the young man next to him was nervous enough. Perhaps discussing this in a secluded place, yet still somewhere public would be the best idea. Finally he shook his head.

"No, I was thinking that we could just leave here. Perhaps go to a restaurant, or coffee shop."

Finally getting back all of his faculties, Xander shot him an incredulous look. "Won't people recognize you? I don't know how private you can get when you're a celebrity."

Bruce just smiled slightly. "Trust me; I can appear just as ordinary as anyone else."

Xander just shrugged. He wasn't really worried about going somewhere with Mr. Wayne. It wasn't like the guy was going to abduct him or something. Finally they decided that the current 'restaurant plan' was the best one to go with.

While Xander went to give the hotel key card to his friends, Bruce went over to talk to, and thank, Tony Stark.

"Are things not going well with your son?" Tony had to suppress a chuckle as Bruce stopped short and shot him a surprised look. "Oh, come on. It wasn't too hard to come to that conclusion." Bruce just shook his head in utter dismay. "If you're worried that I'm going to inform people of this new development, you needn't worry." Bruce shot him a thankful nod, while inwardly the man was trying to calculate likely scenarios. Tony, on the other hand, simply continued either unaware or simply ignoring Bruce's inner thoughts. "Is there something more I can help you with?"

Once Bruce told him about what he wanted to do, and where he wanted to take his son, Tony pulled over one of the guards who lived in the general area. A place was quickly chosen, and Tony even offered the use of one of his standard vehicles that came with a standard GPS system.

Rhodey had to suppress an eye-roll since it was his car being offered. After a few handshakes, Bruce made his way to his son, who was standing by his friends, and the two of them made their way out of the building and into the sub-level parking garage.

Had they looked behind them, they would have seen the contemplative look on the face of none other than Lex Luthor. Before the bald man was able to take more than one step, a hand wrapped around his shoulder, and Tony Stark could be seen talking animatedly with one of the richest men in the US.

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Xander and Bruce first stopped off at Bruce's limo. After relieving himself of his tuxedo jacket, he put on the jacket to a jogging suit. He pulled an old baseball cap from the trunk and placed it on his head. Xander had to admit, unless you were actively looking for Bruce Wayne, you weren't likely to recognize him.

Both men left their ties and suit jackets in the limo, and quickly made their way over to the unassuming car that was supposed to be used by Jim Rhodes.

As Bruce began putting in co-ordinates into the GPS unit on the dash, Xander finally spoke up.

"So, ah, where are we going?"

Bruce gave a quick smile as he started up the car. "One of Mr. Stark's men made a good suggestion. You'll see it when we get there; I have no doubt that you'll like it."

Xander just shrugged as the scenery began to fly by. After an uncertain period of time, the car pulled to a stop outside of a medium sized ice-cream parlor.

Xander shot Bruce an amused look. "You wanted to go for ice cream?"

Bruce just smiled back at him. "Yeah, I figured if we both got one of those mega Sundae belly-buster deals that would give us enough time to talk." He looked over at his son, and shot him a look. "Besides, it looks like you could use some food."

Xander, for his part, just snorted. "According to my friends, I have the appetite of many men." While feeling quite a bit better than earlier he shot another amused look at the older man. "And how do you know that this place even serves those types of Sundaes?"

Bruce just shot him a mock serious look. "If I have to buy the place, they will make us those sundaes." Noticing the wide-eyed look his son was sending him, he chuckled in response. "I'm just kidding, Alexander."

Xander let out a small breath and shook his head. "Well then, let's see about that sundae." He glanced back at the other man. "And please, call me Xander."

Bruce sent a pleased smile in his direction. "And, for now, why don't you simply call me Bruce." Something told him that he hadn't earned the right to be called Dad, or Father yet. Especially since the person his son had been calling 'Dad' since he had been able to speak was such a 'bastard.'

Bruce, in a malicious way, was actually looking forward to having his first 'actual' meet with this 'Anthony Harris.' He was brought out of his musings by Xander's somewhat amused response.

"Sure thing, Mr. Wayne."

Had it not been for the lopsided smile Xander was sending in his direction, Bruce would have stopped short. Instead, he just chuckled at the joke that it was while escorting the young man into the parlor. Once inside they were quickly seated.

They were both shot amused looks as two of the largest ice-cream sundaes were carried over to the table. And soon, between mouthfuls of ice-cream, the conversation began in earnest.


	9. Ch 9

Bruce shot a quick glance over at Xander. He wasn't too surprised to find the young man trying, unsuccessfully, to start off the conversation. The fact that something so simple, like starting a conversation with someone who you have a lot to talk about, seemed so extraordinarily hard; well, the irony of it all actually made Bruce chuckle.

Xander glanced up from where he had been intently fixated on the spoonful of ice-cream when he heard the man across from him start to chuckle. Without even a conscious thought, he sent Bruce an inquiring look.

Bruce smiled as he took another scoop of ice-cream. "I was just thinking that something that should be easy enough, with all we have to talk about, feels like it's impossible to begin."

Xander gave a small grin of his own as he shrugged. "Yea, but where do we start?"

Bruce leaned back in his seat; a thoughtful expression adorned his face.

"Well, why don't we start with something easy? Why don't you tell me about your friends?" Xander's eyebrows shot up slightly, but he shook his head nonetheless. Bruce smiled at the new development. Any conversation was better than the awkward silence, and he was really interested in learning all he could about a son he never knew he had.

Noticing the far off look that his son was currently expressing, Bruce decided to prod the thought process along a small bit. "Willow seemed like a nice girl."

Xander's eyes snapped back into focus, an expression of shock mixed with confusion was clearly evident. "When did you meet Willow?"

Bruce couldn't help but to laugh lightly. "She introduced herself before leaving the two of us alone to talk." Bruce tilted his head to the side as he looked at his son. "You were a little out of it at the time." A large grin plastered on his face. "I'm glad to see that you're over that now."

This time Xander chuckled as he shook his head. "Yea, thanks," Both men chuckled. "Well, I first met Willow my first day in kindergarten." A fond smile adorned his face as he reflected on some of the few fond memories of his childhood. "Let's just say that there was a crayon mishap; I was the one to come to her rescue." Xander shrugged slightly, that fond smile never leaving his face.

Bruce smiled as Xander relaxed slightly. "Let me guess, you were both inseparable from that day forth?"

Xander looked at him for a moment. Inside his head a small conflict arose. It was hard to go into his past relationships with both Willow and Jesse without bringing up his home life. Xander knew that at some point his home life would come up in conversation, but he wasn't sure that he was ready for that sort of talk. It was also something that he had no desire to relive. Finally he shrugged it off. Perhaps this would be a good way to get it out in the open while having some modicum of control.

"Oh, without a doubt; between her and another friend, a guy named Jesse, the three of us were basically sewn at the hip." He made a sign of shrugging, as though what he was about to say wasn't that important. With another fond smile, he continued. "I used to spend many a night at a sleepover at either Willow's or Jesse's."

While outwardly, Bruce was only smiling at his son's demeanor, inwardly was a torrent of emotion. The ability to read people was inherent in his line of work. He had known that he was going to have to tread lightly simply because of the complexity of this situation.

When Xander had started to talk about his childhood, Bruce had already known, or expected much of what had in fact transpired during Xander's days of old. Through the various hospital records kept on the young man, or the way in which he saw that Ass, Tony Harris, treat Xander just the night before.

The moment Xander had paused in his speech; it was like he was an open book for Bruce to read. He knew what Xander was doing. Part of him admired the courage it took to go down this path, and he wanted to do all he could to put the young man, his son, at ease. So, before Xander could continue, Bruce broadened his smile and interrupted the young man.

"Was Jesse the man hovering close to Willow when she introduced herself?" He had vaguely remembered her introducing herself, though he tried to recall, he couldn't remember her introducing any of the other friends by the name of Jesse.

From the sad look that appeared in Xander's eyes, and the sad smile that accompanied it, Bruce realized that the young man that had been hovering around Willow was most definitely not this Jesse. In fact, from the sad look on his son's face, he feared the worse for a 'best friend' of his son, that he was sure he would never have the opportunity of meeting.

"I'm afraid Jesse died about 2 years ago. It was just at the start of our sophomore year of high school." Xander's eyes dropped to the large bowl that currently housed his ice-cream. "He was the victim of 'gang members on PCP. '"

There was a certain tone to the young man's voice that would have easily put Bruce on edge. Had that particular term not already been logged into his mind for further investigation, from when he had read the police reports of the quaint town of Sunnydale that Alfred had acquired, it most assuredly would have been now.

Any outward change in Bruce's demeanor was quickly brought under control and the front he was forcing himself to show remained firmly in place. Not that such a shift in demeanor would have been noticed. Xander hadn't looked up from the slowly melting mountain of ice-cream.

Bruce tentatively reached across the table and placed a hand of comfort over that of his son's. Xander's head instantly snapped up. The gazes of both men interlocked, and Xander received nothing but compassion and apathy for what he had been through.

"I'm sorry I never had the chance to meet him. Why don't you tell me a little about him, and Willow, and yourself too?" Bruce's voice was soft, caring, and made no display that this was anything but a request.

Xander took a deep breath as he tried to regain some sense of control. Bruce slowly withdrew his hand, and for a moment, both men simply resumed eating their ice-cream in the ensuing silence.

After a few moments a small smile spread across his face as he shook his head and continued to regale the man sitting across from him with certain stories of his childhood. Both men were, in general, having a good time. Bruce would interrupt every once in a while to ask a question. Xander would happily tell, if not reflect, of the innocent times in the past.

Xander was able to go over his childhood, and to a lesser extent, his family life. He was somewhat surprised that Bruce wasn't needling him with questions about said home life. It didn't take a genius to see the simmering anger and all out curiosity brimming just under the surface. While the man was able to hide it well, it was still present. Still, Xander wasn't one to look such a gift horse in the mouth, and happily glazed over that area and focusing on the good times that he had shared with his friends.

Now, however, a problem arose. It was clear that Bruce Wayne missed nothing of what could be hidden between the lines. Whether that was something inherent in the man, or something learned through experience, Xander didn't know. Though, something told him that if he were to go onward with his story, it would take him into the realm of the supernatural. That was something he simply didn't want to discuss at the moment. He really didn't want the man who apparently his biological father to be the first person to put him into a straightjacket.

Bruce caught the sudden pause in Xander's story and the reason became apparent right away. He had just talked about going into his first year of high school, and the different cliques that had ensued as was usual in any high school. There wasn't much to tell, his friend base had grown over the years, but his core friends, Jesse and Willow, remained the same throughout.

Now would have been the time when Xander's friend, Jesse, would have lost his life to 'gang members on PCP' and Bruce figured that he knew what that really meant. Assuming that he was right would mean that the Sunnydale PD was even worse than how Gotham City's used to be; before Commissioner Gordon cleaned house.

Xander had been careful about what he had been saying; that much was true. But Bruce didn't believe that anything had been edited out purposefully. And he was quite positive that he hadn't been lied to. Now they were on a tricky subject, and while ideally he didn't want to be kept in the dark about what the young man had been through, and was going through, he knew that this next step was for him to take. He just hoped that he was right about the truth behind what 'gang members on PCP' really meant.

Bruce leaned forward, causing Xander to do the same, and spoke in a soft, yet firm voice.

"You know, Batman told me what was happening when he encountered you." He had to fight not to smile at his son's shocked expression. "And while we'll talk about that later, were you fighting 'gang members on PCP?'"

Xander sat there mute, for a couple of moments, before nodding dumbly.

Bruce sadly shook his head. "I really am sorry about you loss, Xander."

Xander sat there, and slowly digested what he had just been told.

"How much do you know?"

Bruce shrugged. "Well, a man in my position has to know quite a bit about the world. Though, I'm still fairly sure that even what I do know isn't even close to the big picture."

Xander nodded at that. "I can't say that I'm all that comfortable about talking about this sort of thing." He looked around the still mostly empty parlor. "I'm definitely not comfortable talking about it in public."

Bruce had to agree with that. It did, however, lead him to where he wanted to be in the conversation.

"I can understand that, I really can. But I have to ask, why were you out there, alone?"

Xander glanced around again before answering. "Well, I'm usually not alone. The ones who do most of the fighting are on a vacation, of sorts. Also, during the summer it's rare to run into more than one or two at a time. It was just really bad luck and me being antsy. I can tell you that no one was happy about me going out alone."

Bruce simply nodded as he thought back to the fight he had witnessed. Xander had barely dusted that vampire one on one, and had it not been for Batman, Xander would most likely either had been a midnight snack, or perhaps turned into a vampire himself.

Xander mistook the silence and the thoughtful expression on Bruce's face for one that would lead the conversation in a direction that he had been dreading.

Xander shook his head and interrupted Bruce's thought process. "I have to admit, I'm kind of glad that you do know the truth. It makes things easier on both of us. But I can tell what you're thinking, and there is no way that I'm abandoning my friends." Both men stared the other in the eyes, the melting ice-cream completely forgotten. "I don't know if you have plans for me to go with you, I hadn't really thought of it myself, but there is no way in hell that I'll ever abandon them."

It was true, Bruce thought. He had been thinking that. The moment it became clear that his son's encounter with a vampire hadn't been an unexpected event, the thought of pulling him from that small town was the first thing to cross his mind. His son had almost died the other night. Wasn't it his right to worry about his own flesh and blood?

He had to reign in his emotions, for the moment. From the fierceness in the young man's emotional words, there was no doubt that Xander would walk out of this parlor, and leave Bruce to his own devices. Family be damned. He knew it wasn't a stretch to believe that the only family that Xander knew of was the friends he made; especially if those friends were the ones to fight by his side.

Not having a 'family' at home, Xander would have been quick to attach the label of family on his friends and loved ones. Fighting side by side for your own lives and the lives to those close to you would only cement those familial bonds. There was no way that Xander would ever leave his friends, his family. Such desertion was unfathomable to the young man. Bruce knew he had to tread extremely lightly. It was a good thing, he decided, that he had been through many a negotiation and even some hostile takeovers.

"I know, I truly do, and I would never think of separating you from your friends, or whatever they have become." Bruce leaned back in his booth and let out a sigh. Xander did nothing but stare at the man. "And you are right. The first reaction I had was to get you the hell out of that place." He smiled slightly. "I suppose any parent would." His smiled dim a little as Xander's expression never wavered. "I won't pull you out of there. But according to Batman your training is next to nil. While he was impressed with what you displayed, he said that having anyone out there without proper training and backup was complete suicide." Bruce's eyes bored into Xander, and Bruce had to give the young man credit, the kid didn't back down. He had to hide the pride he felt at that. He wondered if he could have done the same, had the situation been reversed.

Bruce leaned forward while taking another deep breath. It was at times like this he was glad for his negotiation skills and sharp memory. "I'll make a deal with you. As you said just a moment ago, the summer time is the safest time of the year in regards to these gang members." Xander shook his head in confirmation. "No matter what you do, I'm going to send some people to help patrol. Well, at least until the people who normally handle these sorts of things get back from their vacation, of sorts? But I want you to come with me," Bruce held up his hand before the protesting could begin. "It can be just for the summer. I'll make sure that you get the best training possible. And when the school year begins, you'll be back for your, what is it, senior year?"

Xander cogitated on this for a moment before nodding. "Yea, I'll be a senior next year. Who will you have come to patrol, or help patrol?"

Bruce had to smile at this, while not a complete agreement; it had the possibility of such. "Oh, well, you know that I know Batman." Xander's eyes went wide. "While I'm aware of him having dealt with these 'gang members' in the past, among other things, I'm sure that he would agree to this being a great learning opportunity for some of his protégés; past and present." There was definitely a slightly evil gleam in Bruce's eyes at that statement, not that Xander noticed.

Xander's eyes had gone wide and his mouth was currently hanging open; before it snapped shut.

"No way in hell."

"What?" Bruce asked incredulously. Who would deny the help of known crime fighters?

Xander shook his head. "Don't get me wrong, I bet they would be great on patrols. But you're forgetting something important." Bruce didn't say anything; just shot him a confused look. "The Batman and his protégés have enemies of their own. And those enemies seem to find them wherever they go." Xander actually shivered noticeably. "Can you imagine one of their enemies ganging up with a gang member?" Xander leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially. "Or, God forbid, they get into other areas of the 'dark arts.'"

Bruce leaned back and shook his head with a smile. "Of course, you are completely right. Given enough time, I'm sure that they would attract undue attention." Bruce's smile widened. "However, they already wear costumes. I'm sure Batman could kit them out with the necessary equipment even if they wear normal clothes. Besides, if their worried about their true identity, I'm positive that we can change them enough that they'll only resemble the person they truly are." He leaned back further once again into a comfortable position. "I promise you, it won't be a problem. I'll just have to have a word with Batman."

Xander thought about it; neither man speaking as they slowly ate what was once ice-cream but was now ice-soup. After three or four minutes, Xander finally looked back up with a smile on his face.

"Well, there's more to talk about. But yea, I think I can agree to those terms. And if the people I work with will consider it, perhaps your people can work with them?" Upon Bruce's quick nod, Xander continued. "Mind you, I have to actually get their permission for the two groups to meet, but either way, I'll go with you. It might be nice to get some training." Xander placed the spoon into his now empty bowl. With a smile on his face, he added as almost an afterthought. "And it might be nice to spend some time with you too, Mr. Wayne."

Both men looked at each other, the same humor sparkling in both sets of eyes. Now they each sat in contemplative silence. But, for the first time this night, it wasn't an uncomfortable one.


End file.
